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Thera 2.11: Cunda,Elder
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(131):Cunda the Elder Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter II. Two Verses =131. Cunda the Great= Reborn in this Buddha-age in the kingdom of Magadha, at Nalaka village, as the son of the brahminee Rüpasari, 119 and younger brother of Sāriputta,1 he followed the latter into the Monk’s order, and after arduous, strenuous effort won arahantship(enlightenment). And glorifying his attainment and in solitude of life, he uttered this saying(gatha): ---- 141 Sussūsā 20 sutavaddhanī sutaɱ paññāya vaddhanaɱ,|| Paññāya atthaɱ jānāti ñāto attho sukhāvaho.|| || 142 Sevetha pantāni senāsanāni|| Careyya saɱyojana vippamokkhaɱ,|| Sace ratiɱ nādhigaccheyya tattha|| Saŋghe vase rakkhitatto satīmā' ti.|| || ---- 141 The will to learn maks of learning growth; Learning2 makes insight grow, and by insight We know the Good; known Good brings bliss along. 142 Seek you the lonely places remote from men.3 Practise the life of liberty from Bonds. If there you come not by your heart's desire, Live with the Monks, mindful and controlled. ---- 1 Cf. Saṃy., iv. 251; v. 161; Sayings(gatha), I., p. 96. With his brother he visits Channa (Majjh., iii. 263; Saṃy., iv. 55). He was one of the nine or ten chief Theras. Three discourses are ascribed to him in the Anguttara Nikāya, addressed to the bhikkhus(monks), and preaching modesty and mutual tolerance, especially between the erudite and the more mystically inclined (iii. 355). 2 Lit., hearing, significant of an era of oral instruction and mnemonic recording. 3 The Lord(Buddha)'s own advice to him (Majjh., i. 46). ---- 2.2 Second Chapter =2.2-1 131 Commentary on the stanza of Mahacundatthera= The stanza starting with Sussūsā constitutes that of the venerable Thera Mahā-Cunda. What is the origin? This one also having done devoted deed of service toward former Buddhas, accumulating meritorious deeds in this and that existence was reborn in the family of a potter, at the time of the Blessed One Vipassī. On having attained the age of intelligence, he was earning his living by doing the work of a pot-maker, when, one day, he happened to have seen the Master, became piuos-minded, made a specially well executed earthen bowl, and offered it to the Gloruos One. On account of that act of merit, he wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings and was reborn as the youngest brother of the Thera Sāriputta, and the son of the brahmin lady Rūpasāri in the village of Nālada, in the kingdom of Magadha, when this Buddha arose. His name was Cunda. When he came of age, he became a monk as a sequal to (his eldest brother’s becoming) Commander-in-chief of dhamma; depending on the latter, he placed himself in the path of developing spiritual insight (vipassanā), made his effrot and exertion (ghaṭento vāyamanto) and became an Arahant with six sorts of superknowledge (abhiññā) but before long. Hence, has it been said in the Apadāna:– “In the city of Haṃsavaī I was a pot- maker. I saw the stainless (virajaṃ) Buddha, the canker-free who had crossed over the fleed (oghatinnaṃ). A well-made earthen bowl I offered to Buddha the best. Having made my offering of bowl to the Blessed One who was such a sage who had become straight, I gained gold trays as I sprang up in any existence. Mats (taṭṭike) made of silver, gold and gems, (did I gain) also. I made use of vessels (made of silver and gold); this is the fruitful reslt of my meritoriuos deed. I become foremost (agga) among men of reputation and money. Just as in a fertile (bhaddake) field (khette), the seed sown though meagrely, when seasonal bearer of rain (sammādhāraṃ) pours down its showers, the crop to be harvested (phalaṃ) satisfies the cultivator (toseti kassakaṃ). Likewise, even, this opportune (path) charitable offering sowed (by me) in the field of Buddha, when the bearer of zest (pīti) sheds its showers, the fruitful result will made me delightedly satisfied. As long as fields exist, the clergy of monks as well as the group of monks, there is none similar to the field of Buddha, the giver of happiness to all living-beings. O Well-bred man! May my adoration be to you! I bow before you, O most ex- cellent man! Having made my offering of a single bowl, I have attained the unshaked path (acalaṃ padaṃ). It was ninety one aeons (kappa) ago, that I then made my offering of a bowl, I do not remember any evil existence; This is the fruitful result of my bowl offering. My depravity had been burnt. … Buddha’s instruction had been carried out.” Having, however, become an Arahant with six sorts of higher-knowledge (abhiññā), he spoke two stanzas in order to make known (dittento) what the cause was of the prosperity (sampatti) aptly gained by himself and his dependency on his teacher (garūpanissaya) as well his abiding in seclusion. 141. “Owing to being obedient (sussūsā) there is an increase (vaḍḍhanī) in learning (suta); whatever is heard constitutes development of wisdom. A man knows the matter by means of wisdom. The known matter is the brarer of bliss. 142. Associate yourself with remotely solitary (pantāni) heds and seats (senāsanāni). One should conduct one- self towards clear freedom from fetters (saṃyajanavippamokkhaṃ). Were one not to attain delight (rati) there, one should dwell amidst the clergy of monks, with his self, looked after and possessed of awareness.” There, sussūsā means: desire to listen to the wholly learned, fit to be listened to (sotabbayutta); dwelling together with a teacher, also. When, indeed, they are desirous of sitting near (upanisīditukāmā) any one because of having been pleased in heart for doing the attending upon, after having approached good friends owing to the desire to hear the beneficial matter (atthaṃ) classified as: pertaining to the immediately present existence (diṭṭhadhammika) etc., then they should sit down near them and should listen to them with fixed attention (ohitasotena) when the desire for hearing has been achieved, thus, it has been said as “Sussūsā, obedient,” owing to the abiding together with the teacher, also, being the cause of obedience. That obedience (sussūsā) however, is this hearing (sutaṃ) well-connected aptly with noble truths (sacca) dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda) and so on; that learning (taṃ sutaṃ) of the individual who is endowed with it is made to increase and flourish (brūheti); thus, sutavaddhanī; the maker of much learning; thus, is the meaning. Sutaṃ paññāya vaddhanaṃ means: that much learning (bāhusaccaṃ) which has been said in such a method and manner as “sutadharo sutasannicayo (the bearer of learning, the repository of accumulated learning),” Idh’ekaccassa bahukaṃ sutaṃ hoti suttaṃ geyyaṃ veyyākaranaṃ (here, to some there is much he had heard, thread-like dis-course (sutta), mixture of prose and verse (geyya), esposition (veyyākarana)” and so on; it makes the wisdom, which has become the cause of avoiding bad deeds and achieving good deeds, increase; thus, what has been heard (sutaṃ) constitutes the development of wisdom; indeed, this has been said by the Blessed One. “Sutāvudho kho bhikkhave ariyasāvako akusalaṃ pajahati, kusalaṃ bhāveti, sāvajjaṃ pajahati, anavajjaṃ bhāveti, suddhamattānaṃ pariharati (O monks! The noble disciple, indeed, with his weapon of what had been heard (sutāvudho) discards the bad deed, developes the good deeds, avoids sinful acts, developes sin- less acts and attends to his pure self).” Paññāya atthaṃ jānāti means: the much-learned man, established in the knowledfe made of what has been heard, entering upon that proper attainment (paṭipattiṃ), in accordance with what has been heard (sutānusārena), with the investigation of meaning (attūpaparikkhāya), by means of the development (bhāvanāya) of comprehension of the truth (dhammanijjhānena), rationally knows (pajānāti) and aptly penetrates into (paṭivijjhati) the meaning (atthaṃ) according to the truth (yathābhūtaṃ), the classification (bhedaṃ) into mundane (lokiya) and sublime (lokuttara), the distribution (vibhāgaṃ) into visible order of things (diṭṭhadhamma) etc., as well as such detailing (vibhāga) also as misery (dukkha) and so on; therefore, the Blessed One said: “Sutassa (yathā pariyattassa) atthamaññāya dhammamaññāya dhammānudhammappaṭipanno boti (to a man of learining (according as he has learned by heart) there is proper practice (paṭipanna) of righteousness (dhamma) according to the truth (dhanna) after he had understood (aññāya) the meaning (attha) and comprehended (aññāya) the truth (dhamma) “Dhatānaṃ dhammānaṃ atthaṃ upaparikkhati, atthaṃ upaparikkhati dhamma nijjānaṃ khamanti; dhammanijjhānakkhantiyā sati chando jāyati; chandajāto ussahati; ussahitvā tuleti; tulayitvā padahati; pahitatto samāno kāyena c’eva paramasaccaṃ sacchikaroti; paññāya canaṃ ativijjha passatīti ca (He investigates the meaning of the teachings (dhamma) which he knew by heari; as a result of his examination of the meaning, he finds pleasure in the teachings (dhamma); when he is pleased with the teachings (dhammanijjhānakkhantiyā sati), there arises desire (chanda); when the desire has arisen he makes an effort; having made an effort, he weighs; after having weighed he strives; on his becoming self-striven, he visualises absolute truth but by his body as well; he sees it with extreme penetration by means of his wisdom).” Ñāto attho sukhāvaho means: such a meaning as pertaining to visible order of things (diṭṭhadhammika) etc., as well as such a meaning as begun with painful suffering (dukkha), according as hes been said, fitfully (yāvatāvato) understood and achieved, brings about and accomplishes happiness classified as worldly and transcendental (lokiyalokuttarabhedoṃ); thus, is the meaning. It is not suitably accomplished (sijjhati) just by mere having heard by means of the established wisdom of development (bhāvanāpaññāya); thus, in order to show the line of action (paṭipajjanavidhiṃ) for it, he said: “Sevetha … vippamokkhaṃ.” There, sevetha pantāni senāsanāni bespeaks bodily seclusion. Here, such self-control as that of good normal precept and so on should be understood as their going without saying, or as substantiation without being expressly enunciated (avuttasiddhā), as abiding in seclusion (vivekavāso) of one but worthy of solitude even, owing to the state of saying (vakkhamānatā) of forsaking the fetters (saṃyojana-ppahāna) by means of it. Cureyya saṃyojanavippamokkhaṃ means: just as the mind is clearly released (vippamuccati) from fetters (saṃyojana) likewise, one should conduct one-self and properly practise (paṭipajjeyya) the development of spiritual insight (vipassanā bhāvanaṃ) and the promotion of the path (maggabhāvanaṃ) as well; thus, is the meaning. Sace retiṃ nādhigaccheyya tattha means: - if special delight (abhiratiṃ) were not gained because of not gaining distinction (visesa) firstly and lastly (pubbenāparaṃ) the delight in those remote monasteries according as obtained as well as in’items of higher righteousness’ adhikusala-dhammesu); saṃghe means collection of monks; rakkhitatto means: watchful -minded (rakkhitacitto) at the six doors (of senses) because of the mastery (pariganhana) of mental exercise (kammaṭṭhāna); satimā vaseyya means: one should live (vihareyya) by being served by (upaṭṭhapanena) the watchful awareness (satiārakkhāya); to one, living in this manner, it may be that there would, namely, be clear free-dom (vippamokkho) from fetters (saṃyojanā); thus, is the significance. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Mahā-Cunda is complete. ----